1,2,4-triazole is an important intermediate in the preparation of various agricultural and pharmaceutical products. Examples of such agricultural and pharmaceutical products are mentioned in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,912,752 and 4,097,662.
A number of methods for making 1,2,4-triazole have been reported, including those mentioned in C. Ainsworth, Org. Syn., Coll. Vol. V, 1070 (1973) and the references cited therein. All of these prior art procedures suffer from low yields, require expensive reagents and equipment as well as multi-step reactions, or include reactions which are impractical by requiring conditions which are difficult to maintain for large scale production.
Anisworth (ibid.) also has reported a procedure which provides 1,2,4-triazole in an overall yield of 64% from hydrazine hydrate. This method involves making 1,2-diformylhydrazine in 80% yield from formamide and hydrazine hydrate and then heating the 1,2-diformylhydrazine at 200.degree. C. in liquid ammonia under pressure (&gt;1000 psi) for 24 hours to obtain, after distillation of the crude product, a 70-80% yield of the triazole based on diformylhydrazine.